Route upgrades

Route upgrades are planned to take on various weekends, affecting trains on our Intercity and Connect Routes

Throughout Spring 2025, Network Rail are carrying out major route improvement work on various weekends ready for the introduction of East Midlands Railway's new bi-mode fleet of trains. Whilst the work is taking place, sections of the Midland Main Line between Luton and London St Pancras will be closed.

You can find out more about the work Network Rail is carrying out to improve our infrastructure here.

Is my journey affected?

This upgrade work will only take place on some weekends during Spring 2025.

On the affected weekends, East Midlands Railway services that usually start and finish at London St Pancras, will start and finish at Luton instead. Rail replacement buses will run frequently between Luton and Hitchin in both directions. East Midlands Railway tickets will be valid on Great Northern / Thameslink trains between Hitchin and London.

Please see the dates below for the weekends impacted:

 What facilities are available at Hitchin?

It's always useful to know if toilets or retail facilities are available when you're travelling. Hitchin station is staffed, with customer service, ticket buying and collection facilities. There is step-free access to all platforms, accessible toilets and lounges/waiting rooms. There is a station car park and cycle hub,  as well as shops, refreshment facilities and an ATM. Station WiFi is currently not available. You can find out up-to-date facilities, and station map on the National Rail Enquiries website.

I need assistance for my journey - what can I do?

Passenger Assistance is available for our customers free of charge, and we recommend booking this ahead of time to make the process as seamless as possible at our stations. You can find out how to book assistance here.

If you require a British Sign Language interpreter whilst travelling, why not use our BSL Live service? Free of charge, this is available 24/7 and full details can be found on our website here.

Luton station has no step-free access. If you are travelling to/from Luton and are need step-free access, please contact us and we can make alternative arrangements. You can get in touch with us here.
 

Check before you travel

You can plan your journey using the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner.
 

Replacement Bus Travel Advice

For helpful advice if you need to travel on a Rail Replacement Bus service, including accessibility and bicycle information, visit National Rail here.

You can find the location of your bus replacement by checking station signs or by searching for your station on our station information pages.

Please be advised that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and you should allow extra time for your journey.